Knockdown wall cabinet



. t- 1951: F. w. SCHMIDT 2,571,622

KNOCKDOWN WALL CABINET Filed Sept. 25, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Frederic/c 14 Schmz'a'l Oct. 16, 1951 F. w. SCHMIDT 2,571,622

7 KNOCKDOWN WALL CABINET Filed Sept. 25, 1948 s Sheets-Sheet 2 Q Q 9 6 80 U INVENTOR. Frederick W Schmidt Oct. 16, 1951 F. w. SCHMIDT KNOCKDOWN WALL CABINET 3 Sheets-Sheet 3' Filed Sept. 25, 1948 f4 .I'Z.

J INVENTOR. Frederick l V Schmidf Patented Oct. 16, 1951 KNOCKDOWN WALL CABINET Frederick W. Schmidt, Olympia, Wash, assignor to Western Metalcraft, Inc., Turnwater, Olympia, Wash., a corporation of Washington Application September 25, 1948, Serial No. 51,148

2 Claims. 1 The present invention relates to knockdown sheet metal cabinets. Sheet metal cabinets are becoming more important as wood becomes more expensive and difiicult to obtain. A sheet metal cabinet can successfully compete in price with a wood cabinet, but the increased cost of Shipping assembled cabinets may raise the price beyond the cost of wooden cabinets assembled on the spot. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a knockdown cabinet which may be formed of a plurality of wall members each of which comprises a single sheet having a flange or flanges thereon of relatively narrow width. These sheets may be packed flat or nested within each other if the dimensions permit, and since the package occupies less space than the assembled cabinet, the cabinet may be shipped inexpensively. An object of the present invention is to provide such a sheet metal cabinet which may be assembled by anyone without the use of special tools and without special skills or intelligence.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a knockdown sheet metal cabinet which may be assembled to provide a rigid structure with the use of a minimum number of screws, bolts, rivets or other fastening means. Each fastening member which is eliminated by the present invention contributes that much more to the commercial possibilities of the construction.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a sheet metal cabinet construction in which rigidity is achieved by providing overlapping portions of the various members with openings of particular configuration whereby fastening elements may cause the overlapped parts to be interlocked with each other or with portions of the fastening members.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a sheet metal cabinet which may be assembled rapidly and may have shelves or the like associated therewith at various levels.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a sheet metal cabinet wherein the heads of all separable fastening elements may be positioned flush with the outer surface of the cabinet, and in which there are no protruding sharp corners or obstructions.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a sheet metal cabinet construction of the knockdown type wherein the means for locking the members of the cabinet in assembled relation also comprise means for attaching the door to the cabinet.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent from inspection of the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, while the features of novelty will be more distinctly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is an isometric front view of the assembled cabinet and door;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 22 of Fig. l, with the view being on an enlarged scale and portions of the assembly being broken away to permit the use of the enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is a similar view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a similar view taken substantially along line 44 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an exploded isometric view of the major elements of the cabinet;

Fig. 6 is a front view, in actual size, of the bottom door hinge;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged section taken substantially along the line 1-4 of Fig. 4 before insertion of the fastening screw;

Fig. 8 is a vertical section taken substantially along line 88 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 7 showing the effect of firm insertion of a fastening screw;

Fig. 10 is a rear elevation of the assembled cabinet;

Fig. 11 is an enlarged view of the four corners of the assembled cabinet showing the upper corners before certain locking tabs are bent inward and the lower corners after they have been bent inward;

Fig. 12 is a horizontal section taken substantially along line l2-I2 of Fig. 11; and

Fig. 13 is a view in elevation of a corner of the back sheet of the cabinet.

The cabinet comprises a plurality of sheet metal members including a back If], a top H, a bottom l2, and a pair of sides l3 and I4. The back comprises a sheet metal member having a top flange [6 extending rearwardly and terminating in a downwardly extending marginal portion IT, a bottom flange l8 extending rearwardly and terminating in an upwardly extending marginal portion IS, a side flange 20 extending rearwardly and terminating in an inwardly extending marginal portion 2!, and an opposed side flange 22 terminating in an inwardly extending marginal portion 23. The side flanges 20 and 22 terminate short of the upper and lower edges of the back l0 so as to provide open spaces between the side and upper and lower 3 flanges. The top I I is provided with an inwardly extending flange 24 along its inner edge terminating in a forwardly extending marginal portion which is bent diagonally upward toward the top. The bottom I2 is provided with a similar flange 26 and diagonal marginal portion 21. The side sheet I3 is provided with a similar flange 23 and diagonal marginal portion 29, and the side sheet I4 is provided with a similar flange 3D and diagonal marginal portion 3I. Each of the marginal portions 25, 21, 29 and 3I may extend around the corresponding marginal portion I1, I9, 2| and 23, the width of the corresponding flanges 24, 26, 28 and being such as to snugly embrace the marginal portions as shown. The gaps pro'-' vided by the diagonally directed marginal portions are too narrow to permit endwise insertion of the flanges of the back wall, hence the interlocking means provided by the flanges can only be brought into assembled condition when the top, bottom and sides are lying in the plane of the back I0. When the top, bottom and sides are then swung forwardly to positions normal to the back ID, the interlocking means at each pair of adjoining edges is firmly engaged as seen in Figs. 2 and 3. As seen in Fig. 2, the reduced length of the flange 20 and its marginal portion 2| and of the flange 22 and its marginal portion 23 provides openings at top and bottom into which the end portions of the flanges 24 and 25 with their marginal portions 25 and 21 may extend. The top I I is provided with side flanges 33 and 34, and the bottom I2 is provided with side flanges 35 and 36 which are normal to the planes of the members. These flanges provide the tongue members of tongue-and-groove interlocking means provided at the meeting edges of the top, bottom and sides. The groove portions comprise strips 31 and 38 welded to the tops of sides I3 and I4 respectively and bent outwardly therefrom adjacent the top edges to provide slots to receive the flanges 33 and 34, respectively, and similar flanges 39 and 40 provided at the bottom edges to receive the flanges 35 and 36 respectively. When the top, bottom and sides are engaged while lying in the plane of the back and swung forwardly, the sides I3 and I4 are swung first so that when the top and bottom II and I2 are swung forwardly the flanges thereon will interlock with the sides. The outer surfaces of the top, the bottom and the sides are thus perfectly smooth and unbroken by a single aperture for fastening elements, yet a complete box construction of stable nature is formed by the simple folding movements.

In order to lock the parts in assembled relationship, the front edges of each of the top, bottom and sides are provided with an inwardly directed flange M, 42, 43 and 44, respectively. These flanges are substantially equal in length to the adjoining edges of the members to which attached so that the ends of adjacent flanges overlap each other. Each pair of overlapped ends is provided with a pair of matching openings through which fastening elements may be inserted to lock the construction in assembled form. The ends of flanges 43 and 44 overlie the ends of flanges H and 42, and these ends are provided with openings 45 which are conically countersunk and of suflicient diameter to receive a fastening element such as the bolt 46 (Fig, 8) or screw 41 (Fig. 9). The underlying flanges 4I and 42 are provided with straight-sided holes 48 of larger diameter than the holes 45 so that when the flanges are brought into proper overlapping" may be suspended thereon.

relationship the feather edges of the openings 45 extend beyond the edges of the openings 48, as seen most clearly in Fig. '1. When the bolt 46 is threaded into a nut 50, as seen in Fig. 8, the feather edge of the countersunk opening is drawn downward into the larger opening 48 by the wedging action of the inwardly tapered head of the bolt so that the flanges 42 and 43 are locked against relative sliding movement. By so looking the flanges together the cabinet is made absolutely rigid simply by the use of two nuts and bolts at each corner thereof.

In order to provide a door for the cabinet, the outer members of the separable fasteners may comprise the conical-headed screws 41 which are adapted to be screwed into threaded openings in an L-shaped member 53 underlying the overlapped ends at an upper and lower corner of one side of the cabinet. The member 53 comprises a major L-shaped portion in which are provided two depressions 54 surrounding threaded openings 55. One end of the L-shaped member is bent forwardly to provide a hinge portion 56. The other hinge portion is in the form of an elongated strap 51 which is connected to the forwardly extending portion 56 at its outer end by a rivet 58 having countersunk heads. A Washer 59 is interposed between the two members to provide for free turning. The portion 56 extends forwardly practically in the plane of the top or bottom as the case may be. The major part of the portion 51 is offset slightly at so as to bring the surface thereof into contact with a wall of the door, as will be described later. The depressions 54 are formed by stamping the material so as to provide a protuberance on the opposite side, and similar struck portions H are provided in the straps 51 surrounding threaded openings therethrough similar to the openings 55. When a screw such as screw 41 is inserted through openings 45 and 48 into the threaded opening the feather edge of the countersunk opening is hooked over the outer edge of the inner opening, as seen in Fig. 9. Continued tightening of the screw forces the lip of the opening 48 into the depression 54 so that the overlying flange ends are not only interlocked with each other but are interlocked with the hinge.

The flange M is provided with a notch at each end closely adjacent the top II and close to the openings 48, and the flange '42 is provided with similar notches 65. The upper and lower ends of flange 43 are provided with notches 66 which match the notches 65 when the parts are brought together. The matching notches thus provide rectangular openings through which the portions 53 of the hinges may be inserted. The notches are of sufficient width and depth so that the portion 53 maybe inserted horizontally, then twisted and turned so as to bring theopenings 55 beneath the matching openings and cause the portions 56 to extend horizontally forward. A hinge is placed at each of a pair of upper and lower corners of the cabinet so that the door One of the hinges is right-handed and the other left-handed so that the portions 53 will extend upward from the lower hinge and downward from the upper hinge, While the portions 51 extend'in the proper direction across the front of the cabinet. By diagonally reversing the hinges the door may be mounted at either the right or left edge of th cabinet.

The door, as seen in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, preferably comprises ahollow sheet'metal member having an inner face 10, an outer face II, lower edge 12, upper edge 13, pivot edge-15 and free edge 16.

tending portion 56 and the overlying part of portions 51 occupy the full extent of the openings 11, as seen in Fig. 1, so that a neat appearance is provided. A handle I9 may be provided, and fastening means to hold the door closed (not shown) may likewise be provided.

In order to provide shelves within the cabinet, the back It] is provided with a plurality of dis placed portions 80 provided by displacing rearwardly thin strips of metal between pairs of horizontal slits, thus providing horizontal slots in the back. There are preferably two vertical rows of such slots, one at each side of the back, forming ladders for adjustable positioning of the rear edges of a shelf or shelves. The flanges 43 and 44 on the side walls [3 and [4 are turned rearwardly, then outwardly, to form substantially rectangular columns at the right and left sides of the front of the cabinet. The outwardly turned terminal edge portions 8| which face the rear wall are provided with a plurality of narrow, vertical slots 82, there being a pair of such slots to match each pair of horizontal slots in the rear wall. The shelf preferably comprises a sheet metal member 84 having a vertical front flange 85 and a vertical rear flange 8-6. The front flange is provided with a pair of punchedout, forwardly directed, vertically disposed tabs 81, and the rear flange 86 is provided witha pair of rearwardly and downwardly directed, horizontally disposed, punched-out hooks B8. The shelf is positioned at the desired level by extending the hooks 88 downwardly through a pair of horizontal slots provided by the depressed strips 88 and engaging the tabs 81 in the vertical slots 82.

In order to hang the cabinet on a wall, the rear I6 is preferably provided with a plurality of screw holes 90 through which screws may be passed and driven into the wall.

As a further means of preventing relative movement between the various parts of the device the vertical flanges 2| and 23 on the back In are provided with a plurality of notches 9| extending inwardly from the edges thereof to the union thereof with the rearwardly directed flange portions 20 and 22, preferably one such notch being provided at each end of the vertical flange. The overlying portions of the interlocking flanges on the sides I3 and M are provided with tabs 92 and 93 adapted to be bent inwardly into the notches 9|, the tabs 92 being adjacent the union of the flange with the side and the tab 93 being oppositely disposed adjacent the union thereof with the inwardly bent marginal portions of the interlocking means. The tabs 92 may be bent inwardly through the notches 9| to hook over and lie against the rearwardly directed flange portions 20 and 22 of the back In. The tabs 93 may be bent inwardly toward the marginal portions 29 and 31, the upper and lower edges thereof engaging the upper and lower edges of the notches 9|. Since the tabs engage spaced points on each edge of the notch 9 I, skewing of the back 10 is effectively prevented.

Having illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be apparentto those, skilled in the art that the invention permits of modification in arrangement and detail. All such modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of the appended claims are considered to be a part of the invention. I

I claim:

l. A knockdown sheet-metal cabinet comprising separable members including a back, a top, a bottom and two sides, each of the four edges of said back having a rearwardly directed flange normal to the plane of the back, each of said flanges terminating in an inwardly directed marginal portion parallel to the plane of the back, each of said top, bottom and two sides having: an inwardly directed flange along its rear edge: normal to the plane thereof and each of the flanges of the top, bottom and two sides terminating in a marginal portion directed forwardly and inclined toward the plane of the respective member, the width of the inwardly directed flanges: of the top, bottom and sides being slightly greater than the width of the adjacent inwardly directed marginal portions of the flanges of said back, assembly of said top, bottom and sides with said back bein'g accomplished only by inserting the marginal portions of the flanges of said back into the angle between the flange and terminal portion thereof of the respective top, bottom or side member when inclined with respect to said back and thereafter swinging the respective member into a plane normal to said back, said sides comprising outwardly plane surfaces, each of said sides having a pair of strips welded to the inner surfaces thereof parallel to and adjacent the upper and lower edges thereof and defining grooves opening toward the top and bottom thereof respectively, and said bottom and top having flanges normal to the planes thereof and receivable in said grooves when said sides are in normal relation to said back.

2. A knockdown sheet-metal cabinet comprising separable members including a back, a top, a bottom and two sides, each of the four edges of said back having a rearwardly directed flange normal to the plane of the back, each of said flanges terminating in an inwardly directed mar-, ginal portion parallel to the plane of the back, each of said top, bottom and two sides having an inwardly directed flange along its rear edge normal to the plane thereof and each of the flanges of the top, bottom and two sides terminating in a marginal portion directed forwardly and in-' clined toward the plane of the respective member, the width of the inwardly directed flanges of the top, bottom and sides being slightly greater than the width of the adjacent inwardly directed marginal portions of the flanges of said back, assembly of said top, bottom and sides with said back being accomplished only by inserting the marginal portions of the flanges of said back into the angle between the flange and terminal portion thereof of the respective top, bottom or side member when inclined with respect to said back and thereafter swinging the respective member into a plane normal to said back, said sides comprising outwardly plane surfaces, each of said sides having a pair of strips welded to the inner surfaces thereof parallel to and adjacent the upper and lower edges thereof and defining grooves opening toward the top and bottom thereof respectively, and said bottom and top having flanges normal to the planes thereof and receivmamas able in said grooves when said sides are in normal relation to said back, the front edges of said top, bottom and two sides each comprising an inwardly directed flange normal thereto, portions of the flanges on said front edges overlapping when said cabinet is in assembled relation and. having matching openings therein, and separable fastening means extending through said matching openings to lock the cabinet in assembled FREDERICK W. SCHMIDT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 677,176 Cochran June 25, 1901 759,834 Steele May 10, 19.04

2,438,257 Stevenson Mar. 23, 1948 2,443,515 Rockwell June 15, 1948 2,483,606 Alb'ach Oct. .4, 1949 

